Category: 5 star Rating

Need a New Contemporary Romance? Check Out Dine with Me by Layla Reyne!

 

 

 

 

Layla Reyne’s DINE WITH ME is a contemporary m/m romance following a dying chef on a last tour of his favorite meals, and the travel companion who must convince him he’s more than his taste buds and that the cost of love is worth living for.

Title: Dine With Me

Release Date (e-book and audio): September 16, 2019

Blurb:

Life never tasted so good.

Miller Sykes’s meteoric rise to award-winning chef is the stuff of culinary dreams, but it’s all crashing down around him. He’s been given a diagnosis that could cost him something even more precious than his life: his sense of taste. Rather than risk the very thing that defines him, Miller embarks on a last tour of his favorite meals while he still can.

But there’s a catch: he needs a financial backer to make it happen, and he doesn’t want anyone to know he’s sick.

Dr. Clancy Rhodes has two weeks to come to terms with putting aside oncology to work at his father’s thriving plastic surgery practice. When the opportunity to travel with a Michelin-starred chef presents itself, the foodie in him can’t believe it. It doesn’t hurt that Miller’s rugged good looks are exactly Clancy’s cuppa joe.

As Clancy and Miller travel from coast to coast and indulge in everything from dive bars to the most decadent of culinary experiences, they’re suddenly sharing a lot more than delicious meals. Sparks fly as they bond over their love of flavors and the pressures of great expectations. But when Miller’s health takes a turn for the worse, Clancy must convince him he’s more—so much more—than just his taste buds. And that together, they can win a battle that once seemed hopeless.

One-click with confidence. This title is part of the Carina Press Romance Promise: all the romance you’re looking for with an HEA/HFN. It’s a promise!

Links:

AMZ: https://amzn.to/2CNDzbA

Universal: https://books2read.com/DineWithMe

September  Teaser:

“Any other rules?” he asked.

There was one other, though not a rule so much as dispelling a myth that Miller, as a chef, fucking loathed. “If someone has ever told you to leave a tiny bit of food on your plate as a gesture of respect to the kitchen, don’t listen to them. And don’t do it. It’s a load of horse shit. If you’re full, then fine, don’t force yourself. But if you want to eat it all, by all means, eat it all. Nothing I liked better than seeing empty plates come back to the kitchen.”

“If someone ever told me that, I didn’t listen. It’s fucking idiotic.”

“Good,” Miller said with a sharp, satisfied nod. “I’m glad we have an understanding there.”

“I understand that every bit of food I can get in my belly is going in there.”

Miller had no idea where it was all going to go in that trim body, but he looked forward to seeing Clancy try. “Then we’re all set.” He shrugged into his overcoat and opened the door for Clancy. “Shall we get the belly stuffing underway?”

“Two and a half hours of it.” Clancy patted said belly as he stepped into the hallway. “I can’t wait.”

“Revise that.” Miller pulled the door closed behind them. “Four hours.”

“Four? All the reviews I read said to plan for two and a half.”

“Those people received menus. We won’t. Think you can handle it?”

“I’m game.” The eagerness in Clancy’s eyes was a good sign. Miller’s experience with people who said they “eat it all” was that their no-no list was in fact a mile long. He didn’t sense that was the case with his companion, which boded well for tonight. And the trip as a whole. If it was true.

He gave Clancy a wink. “You’re in for a treat.”

About Layla Reyne:

RITA Finalist Layla Reyne is the author of the Agents Irish and Whiskey, Fog City, and Changing Lanes series. A Carolina Tar Heel who now calls the San Francisco Bay Area home, Layla enjoys weaving her bi-coastal experiences into her stories, along with adrenaline-fueled suspense and heart-pounding romance. She is a member of Romance Writers of America and its Kiss of Death and Rainbow Romance Writers chapters. Layla is a 2019 RWA® RITA® Finalist in Contemporary Romance (Mid-Length) and 2016 RWA® Golden Heart® Finalist in Romantic Suspense.

Connect with Layla:

FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/laylaslushes/

FB: https://www.facebook.com/laylareyne

IG: https://www.instagram.com/laylareyne/

Newsletter: https://www.laylareyne.com/signup

AMZ: https://www.amazon.com/author/LaylaReyne

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/layla-reyne

A MelanieM Review: Coach’s Challenge (Scoring Chances #5) by Avon Gale

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

It’s been decades since blackmail forced Troy Callahan to retire from playing professional hockey, and he’s built a successful career behind the bench. When he’s offered the opportunity to coach the Asheville Ravens—the most hated team in the ECHL—he’s convinced that his no-nonsense attitude is just what the team needs to put their focus back on hockey. But Troy is disheartened when he finds out the Ravens have signed Shane North, a player known for his aggression—especially when Shane’s rough good looks have Troy thinking inappropriate thoughts about a player, even if he’s set to retire at the end of the season.

Shane’s career in the majors never quite took off. Wanting to quit on his own terms, Shane agrees to a one-year contract with the Ravens and finds himself playing for a coach who thinks he’s an aging goon, and with a team that doesn’t trust him, Troy, or each other. Despite his determination not to get involved, Shane unwillingly becomes part of the team… and is just as unwillingly drawn to the gruff, out-and-proud coach. As the Ravens struggle to build a new identity, Shane and Troy succumb to the passion that might cost them everything.

I hate coming to the last of the released books in a series I love, especially this one.  Scoring Chances has really grabbed at my heart with the stories of competing teams in the ECHL, whether it’s been the  Jacksonville Sea Storm, Spartanburg Spitfires, and here finally the reviled Asheville Ravens, and the hockey players within those teams that love and fought hard on and off the ice.

What a group its been.  Closeted players, tormented coaches, goalies tossed away by their families and rich kids coming into their own and finding love and themselves on and off the ice.  Avon Gale has captured the essence of this game at its most basic while giving the readers great romance and yes, sexy men.

ECHL is a special place.  Easy Come Hard to Leave as the author has mentioned the East Coast Hockey League is called.  The players come into it not solely by draft, although those lucky enough to be drafted by the NHL are sent there first to learn the ropes and get seasoning.  No, hockey players can just show up and try out, no draft needed.    It lends itself to a special type of player and mentality.  And a camaraderie between the players off the ice after the games are over.  It’s an atmosphere where the pay is miniscule, the hours long, and the passion for the game hot.

We get that in these stories and from these men and couples.  Certainly so here from the man trying to rebuild one of the most hated teams in the ECHL.  That would be the Ashville Ravens. In Coach’s Challenge (Scoring Chances #5) by Avon Gale we finally get an inside look at the team we’ve only seen on the other side of the rink.  Usually its after they’ve tossed slurs at some of our favorite men or even committed crimes against them.   Now we get the flip side as Troy Callahan takes on the unenviable job of coach and rebuilding this team completely after the events of the last story.

Troy has given up the chance to coach in the NHL to rebuild the Ravens and all the reasons why fall out quickly.  Troy’s character is hockey tough, his personal pain still  driving him, and he’s easy to connect to.  So is the man arriving late to training, Shane North, a hockey player in the last year before retirement and looking to go out the right way.

Shane North, older, looking for one last year of hockey, played honorably, is a perfect person to represent a ECHL player.  Someone with years of playing behind them who still wants to play, that one more year.  Who continues to love the game.  He’s human, layered, and so personable that I just fell in love with him.   And his rickety car that barely made it to Ashville.

Between Shane and Troy, the chemistry is immediately hot, the dynamics perfect, and I love the way their relationship plays out  professionally and out of uniform.

There is still fallout from the scandal and NHL proceedings that entwine throughout the story.  The intrigue and suspense just adds to the overall depth and enjoyment.  But the real stars here remain the game and the romance.  The action on the ice, the plays, the excitement! You can almost imagine these teams and players are real.  That goes for the love and romance too.

I just adore this series and hope eventually to see another story release.  There are other players here that need their HEA and story told.   I’ll be waiting for it and them.

Until that happens, I’ll be content to reread this series as is.  Are you new to it?  I highly recommend each and every story but read them in the order they were written to understand the history of the teams, the players, and the Kelley Cup.  It’s a journey you won’t want to miss out on.

Cover art: Aaron Anderson.  Again, another great cover that brands the series and the story.

Sales Links:  Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 200 pages
Published June 26th 2017 by Dreamspinner Press
Original Title Coach’s Challenge
ISBN139781635337662
Edition Language English
Series Scoring Chances #5

Reviewer note: arcs purchased directly from Amazon for the entire series.

Scoring Chances Series – add to Goodreads here

Breakaway

Save of the Game

Power Play

Overtime

Empty Net

Coach’s Challenge

A MelanieM Review: Dine with Me by Layla Reyne

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

Life never tasted so good.

Miller Sykes’s meteoric rise to award-winning chef is the stuff of culinary dreams, but it’s all crashing down around him. He’s been given a diagnosis that could cost him something even more precious than his life: his sense of taste. Rather than risk the very thing that defines him, Miller embarks on a last tour of his favorite meals while he still can.

But there’s a catch: he needs a financial backer to make it happen, and he doesn’t want anyone to know he’s sick.

Dr. Clancy Rhodes has two weeks to come to terms with putting aside oncology to work at his father’s thriving plastic surgery practice. When the opportunity to travel with a Michelin-starred chef presents itself, the foodie in him can’t believe it. It doesn’t hurt that Miller’s rugged good looks are exactly Clancy’s cup of joe.

As Clancy and Miller travel from coast to coast and indulge in everything from dive bars to the most decadent of culinary experiences, they’re suddenly sharing a lot more than delicious meals. Sparks fly as they bond over their love of flavors and the pressures of great expectations. But when Miller’s health takes a turn for the worse, Clancy must convince him he’s more—so much more—than just his taste buds. And that together, they can win a battle that once seemed hopeless.

I love stories that mix food with romance.  The two just naturally go together, a exploration of the sensual, the ability to explore new cultures through new  tastes and dishes, just the spices alone can be so heady.  Just like falling in love itself.  They are, as they say, a perfect blend.

When the chef or in this case, the author, gets it right.

And here in Dine With Me by Layla Reyne, the author gets it word for word, recipe by recipe, and scene by scene splendidly right.

I am not familiar enough with this author’s stories to know if this is the exception or the rule, but I mean to find out.  From the layered characterizations that spoke to me to the  many restaurants and dishes served up throughout the novel that speaks of the author’s love and appreciation of food and the chef’s in the kitchens, everything about Dine With Me was a journey to delight in and remember.

The author can go to making your mouth water for truffles to having your heart wrench over the pain being felt by the characters,Miller Sykes especially.   Clancy and Mike, as well as sall the other people here are so well crafted they become alive, and you fall into their lives from the moment you meet them and begin their journey.

And oh what a trip that will be… no spoilers here…but trust that it’s one you would wish to take yourself.  It sounds as though the author was intimately familiar with each and every place and for that Im envious and happy for her.  Those descriptions of the dishes and food are rich, you can almost smell the aromas, taste the umami, and let the savory and salt undertones  melt in your mouth.  OK, bring a drool cloth.

That ending?  It was everything I wanted and more.  It made my heart overflow.  Just what I need in my contemporary love stories and maybe even more.

So yes, run , don’t walk and get Dine with Me by Layla Reyne.  I love this story and only wish I could have lingered a bit longer is only to savor in this couple’s happiness and taste more of that incredible food by proxy.

Cover art by Carina Press does everything but make that table twinkle.  Pull out a chair for me.

Sales Links: Carina Press | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

Book Details:

ebook
Expected publication: September 16th 2019 by Carina Press
ISBN 148805391X (ISBN13: 9781488053917)
Edition Language English

A Barb the Zany Old Lady Audio Review: Will & Patrick Wake Up Married (Episodes 4-6) by Leta Blake and Alice Griffiths/John Solo (Narrator)

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

This absolutely wonderful and outstanding audiobook, featuring a superb vocal performance by John Solo, is a compilation of books four to six from the original Will and Patrick Wake Up Married series:

Four: Will & Patrick Fight Their Feelings

Five: Will & Patrick Meet the Mob

Six: Will & Patrick’s Happy Ending

In my opinion, John Solo far surpasses his previous best performances with his portrayal of both Will and Patrick. Each voice is distinct and the emotion conveyed with the tone of their words is spot-on. From Will’s shuddering vocal sex scenes with Patrick as they replicate Will’s long-held fantasies, to Patrick’s extreme emotion when he reveals his deepest, darkest secret to Will, both characters show their love and emotional support for each other long before they declare the words.

Part two is somewhat introspective as Patrick can’t work due to a pending malpractice suit so he spends his time with his new friend Jenny and working out his feelings for Will. Patrick is one of those people who is off-the-chart intelligent, but feelings? Uh-uh, he has no experience with those. Jenny helps him realize he’s in love with Will and that Will loves him too. 

In this part he also meets Will’s dad – at the point of a gun held to his head.  It’s just a joke – a sick one, no doubt, but Tony Molinaro is a mob boss, and Patrick takes the threat seriously.  He also thinks Will’s dad is seriously hot. In fact, he sees where his Puddin’ Pop gets his sex appeal.  I have to say that Patrick makes me laugh out loud with his bizarre sense of humor and snide off-the-cuff comments. And his pet word, Puddin’ Pop, is just perfect for Will and shows Patrick’s soft side, even in the midst of chaos.

Along the way in this saga, Will’s former partner, an emotionally abusive man, makes an appearance both in person and in memories. And, Will’s alcoholism is an underlying problem throughout the story, especially as Will constantly questions his decisions, and his sponsor gives him some advice that influences his relationship with Patrick. Then, when they learn they can get a divorce now that Will’s mob relatives have changed the “family” rules for divorce, Will looks at taking a break from Patrick as a way to examine his true feelings, but Patrick is devastated.  Though Patrick finally agrees, he installs a countdown clock on his phone so he can know, down to the second, exactly how long he has to wait before getting Will back.

Thankfully, Patrick is finally reinstated at the hospital, but the death of a patient sends him reeling and he heads out of state to visit his foster mother—the woman who always gives him unconditional love and support. There we see his family of the heart and learn more about Patrick’s early days.

There’s so much packed into this compilation. There’s hot, sexy, dirty talk, spanking, role play, and love. There’s so much love—family love, family-of-the-heart love, friend love, and finally, true love, a love for all time that comes full circle when Will and Patrick reunite.

I highly recommend this series, especially in this triple volume audiobook format because it gives the bigger picture and that picture paints my heart with happiness. There’s no way these two are going to be forgotten any time soon. Kudos to the authors for the story and most especially for their sense of humor, and double kudos to John Solo for bringing these characters to life. 

Cover art is different from the eBooks.  I like this, soft, warm hearted and pulls you into the couple and story.

Buy Links: Audible US | Audible UK | Amazon US | Amazon UK

Audio Details:

Audiobook
Published July 31st 2019 by Leta Blake Books (first published May 2nd 2016)
Edition Language English
Series Wake Up Married #4-6

Narrated by: John Solo
 
Length: 15hrs 45mins
 
Wake Up Married Series


Episodes 1 – 3 – Audible US | Audible UK | Amazon US | Amazon UK

A MelanieM Audio Review :Single (Single Dads #1) by R.J. Scott and Sean Crisden (Narrator)

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

Reeling from the painful rejection of a man he thought he loved, Asher is left holding the baby.

Ash wants a family, and is determined to continue with a surrogacy he’d begun with his ex. Bringing baby Mia home, he vows that he will be the best father he can be. Nothing in this world matters more to him than caring for his daughter, not even accidentally falling in lust with the doctor next door. Challenged by his growing attraction to Sean, and confronted by painful memories of his family, Ash has to learn that love is all that matters.

When ER doctor Sean moves in with his friends next door to sexy single father Ash, he falls so quickly it takes his breath away. The sex they have is hot, but Ash is adamant his heart is too full with love for his daughter to let anyone else in. Why is Sean the only one who sees how scared Ash is, and how can he prove to his new lover that he desperately wants the three of them to become a family?

With the release of Single (Single Dads #1) by R.J. Scott and Sean Crisden (Narrator), one of my go to authors has delivered what will clearly be a new favorite comfort read and must have series.  This story just checks all my boxes.  It has great characters, a plot that immediately makes you empathetic towards this overwhelmed, yet loving dad, and a sweet slow slide into romance and HEA that will make you sigh and  even sniffle more than once, ok, several times.

The characterizations here are outstanding as is the dialog.  Ash is so identifiable as the young father juggling a job and a new baby.  Especially the emotional demands and fears every new parent faces when presented with the responsibility of a baby and all that represents.  Yes, wonderful, and yet,  can be a truckload of what ifs, especially when you are alone.  The author captures this so well, every damn aspect of it.

From the stress of a single dad to the household next door which has its own burdens of pressure and pain to deal with, the dynamics at  play here run from the humorous to the angst filled. It is just as easy to fall in love with all three men next door as it is Ash.  And from Sean to his other friends (who will get their own stories and romances), this quickly becomes a novel and series to treasure.

Sean Crisden does a incredible job of inhabiting each and every character, flowing easily from one to the next.  I sank into the story via his narration and never wanted t come out.  His voice has just the right tone for listening for me and it made this such a joy as an audio story.  He’s on my list of favorite narrators.

What can I say?  I absolutely adore this book in every way.  I am eagerly awaiting the audio version of the new story in the series and it will be in my top for the year.  Grab it up and see why I’m so excited!

Cover art: Meredith Russell.  Such a perfect cover.  Pertinent to the character and story, it’s also warm,  inviting and eye catching.  I love it.

Buy Links: Audible US | Audible UK | Amazon US | Amazon UK

Audio Book Details:

Listening Time: 4 hrs., 35 min

Audio Book Details:Audiobook
Published August 9th 2019 by Love Lane Books Ltd. (first published June 14th 2019)
Edition LanguageEnglish
SeriesSingle Dads #1
settingSan Diego, California (United States)

 

Don’t Miss Out on the Audio Tour and Giveaway for Single (Single Dads #1) by R.J. Scott and Sean Crisden (Narrator)

 

Buy Links: Audible US | Audible UK | Amazon US | Amazon UK
 
Length: 4hrs 35 mins
 
Narrator: Sean Crisden
 
Cover Design: Meredith Russell
 
Blurb



Reeling from the painful rejection of a man he thought he loved, Asher is left holding the baby.


Ash wants a family, and is determined to continue with a surrogacy he’d begun with his ex. Bringing baby Mia home, he vows that he will be the best father he can be. Nothing in this world matters more to him than caring for his daughter, not even accidentally falling in lust with the doctor next door. Challenged by his growing attraction to Sean, and confronted by painful memories of his family, Ash has to learn that love is all that matters.


When ER doctor Sean moves in with his friends next door to sexy, single-father Ash, he falls so quickly it takes his breath away. The sex they have is hot, but Ash is adamant his heart is too full with love for his daughter to let anyone else in. Why is Sean the only one who sees how scared Ash is, and how can he prove to his new lover that he desperately wants the three of them to become a family?

USA Today bestselling author RJ Scott writes stories with a heart of romance, a troubled road to reach happiness, and most importantly, a happily ever after.


RJ Scott is the author of over one hundred romance books, writing emotional stories of complicated characters, cowboys, millionaire, princes, and the men who get mixed up in their lives. RJ is known for writing books that always end with a happy ever after. She lives just outside London and spends every waking minute she isn’t with family either reading or writing.


The last time she had a week’s break from writing she didn’t like it one little bit, and she has yet to meet a bottle of wine she couldn’t defeat.


She’s always thrilled to hear from readers, bloggers and other writers. Please contact via the links below:

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More Sports Romances and Recommendations. This Week At Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

More Sports Romances and Recommendations

Yes, its officially September and a perfect time to continue our chat about sports and sports in romances.  Football and tailgating, airhorns and goals scored.  Fall just speaks of sports.  Among other things of course.

As I hurried to put in rows of mums, HB was commenting with a wonderful list of sports recommendations.  Here they are below.  This will give me a breather to find my dusty list and add to it.  Where do you put some of your favorites?  What heading do they fall under?

Check them all out below and leave a comment. You never know when a gift cert might pop up!

Sports Romance Story Recommendations by Sport

From our reader, HB:

 

I haven’t read too many sports books but what I can remember seeing and have read in each category are:

Rugby/Soccer.
Ten in the Bin by N.R. Walker
Offside by Ryan Loveless
Ravages by R.A. Padmos
Glasgow Lads series by Avery Cockburn
Pull Me Under by Zarah Detand
Hunted by Liz Powell
More Than the Ball by Brandon Redstone
Balls and Strikes by Sean Michael

Ice Sports:
Frozen Hearts by Teegan Loy
Power Play by J.M. Snyder
The Magic Broom by Teegan Loy
See the Light by Cassandra Carr
Seattle Marauders 1-2 by Riley Shane
Blue Line Hockey 1-9 by Stephani Hecht
Home Ice by Kate Sherwood
How To Quit Playing Hockey by Isa K.
Him 1-2 by Sarina Bowen
Heart in Hand by salifiable
Straight Shooter by Heidi Belleau
Training Season by Leta Blake
Breathing Snow by Dev Bentham
Cold War by Keira Andrews
Winging It by Ashlyn Kane
Crashing the Net by Samantha Wayland
Home and Away by Samantha Wayland
Different Dynamics by Tamir Drake (A/B/O)
City Boy by A.E. Wasp

Noah by Ben Ryder
Enforcing Emory by Mickie B. Ashling

Rodeo:
Bully for You by Catt Ford
Bullheaded by Catt Ford
A Wild Ride by Andrew Grey
After the Sunset (Timing 2) by Mary Calmes
Home of His Own by T.A. Chase

Equestrian (Polo,Jumping, Racing, Dressage):
Polo series by Mickie B. Ashling is the only one I know of and you’ve already mentioned,
Force of Law by Jez Morrow has a small polo scene written in too but is not a sports romance.
One Step Forward by Tia Fielding

Water Sports:
My Hero 1-2 by Max Vos
Riding the Board by Cate Ashwood
Heels Over Head by Elyse Springer
Slow Bloom by Anah Crow and Dianne Fox
Aquamarine by Sara Bell
Stroke! by M.J. O’Shea
Rocking the Boat by Christopher Koehler
Synchronicity by Keira Andrews
Making It by Louis Stevens

Baseball/Football American NFL:
A Perfect Game by Reno MacLeod and Jaye Valentine
Deep in the Count by Madison Parker
Four Corners by Kate McMurray
Caught Running by Madeleine Urban
Out in the Field by Kate McMurray
Grand Slam by J.T. Cheyanne
Bromosexual by Daryl Banner
Caught Looking by Kathleen Lee
Southern Scrimmage series (book 1-6) by Mercy Celeste
Playing for Keeps by Lexi Ander
Safety Net by Keiko Kirin
Quarterback Sneak by Pepper Espinoza
Man-to-Man Coverage Series by Nico Jaye (free)
Long Pass Chronicles series by Tara Lain
Horizons by Mickie B. Ashling
Steamroller by Mary Calmes
Fourth and Long by Michele Micheal Rakes
Given the Circumstances by Brad Vance
Sacking the Quarterback by Carol Lynne
Out of the Pocket by Bill Konigsberg
Out of Position books by Kyell Gold
Rebound by Remi Ryan

Other:
All for the Game series by Nora Sakavic
Wrestling With Desire by D.H. Starr
Kieran & Drew by L.A. Gilbert
Superhero by Eli Easton
Match Maker by Alan Chin
The Unforgiving Minute by Sarah Granger
Prize Package by Kyle Adams
Overdrive by Ariel Tachna
Pinned by Maris Black
Pool Hall Green by Sara Bell
Fight by Kelly Wyre
The Locker Room by Amy Lane
Dance With Me by Heidi Cullinan
Heart of the Race by Mary Calmes
Exposed by Skylar M. Cates
Out of Bounds by T.A. Chase
Jock Dorm series by Bobby Michaels
Volley Balls by Tara Lain
Gearshark series by Cambria Hebert

Dumb Jock Series by Jeff Erno, covers multiple sports.
Out in College 1-3 by Lane Hayes also covers a different sport in each book.
Jock Series by Wade Kelly is another

 

And now for our week ahead…..

This Week At Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Sunday, September 1:

  • Sports Romance and Recommendations
  • This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Monday, September 2:

  • Review Tour – Joanna Chambers – Gentleman Wolf
  • Cover Reveal Angel of Death by MD Neu
  • Book Blitz – Various Authors – Between The Covers
  • MelanieM Review:Empty Net (Scoring Chances #4) by Avon Gale
  • A Stella Review: Gentleman Wolf by Joanna Chambers
  • A Lucy Review The Low Road by Eleanor Harkstead

Tuesday, September 3:

  • Blog Tour Pure by JM Dabney
  • Blog Tour – Just Like Heaven by T.L. Bradford
  • A MelanieM Review: Pure (Trenton Security #4) by J.M. Dabney
  • A Melanie Review Just Like Heaven by T.L. Bradford
  • A Lila Review The Windmines of Bora Bora (Virasana Empire: Sir Yaden Book 2) by Beryll & Osiris Brackhaus

Wednesday, September 4:

  • BLITZ Beyond Identity by Karrie Roman
  • Cover Reveal – Nightside: An Erie Vampire Tale – V.L. Locey
  • Audio Review Tour – RJ Scott – Single
  • A Stella Review If You’re Going Through Hell Keep Going (Mann of My Dreams #1) by Tinnean
  • A Free Dreamer Review: Art of Death (Lychgate #1) by Bob Appavu
  • A MelanieM Audio Review :Single (Single Dads #1) by R.J. Scott and Sean Crisden (Narrator)

Thursday, September 5

  • Release Blitz – Sam Burns – Wolf Lost
  • An Alisa review Him Improvement by Tanya Chris
  • A MelanieM Review: Dine with Me by Layla Reyne
  • An Alisa Review: Him Improvement by Tanya Chris
  • A MelanieM Review:Drama Dance (Nicky and Noah Mystery #8) by Joe Cosentino

Friday, September 6:

  • Release Blitz Eli Easton – Puzzle Me This
  • DSP PROMO Victoria Sue
  • Blog Tour Resonance by Neve Wilder
  • A Melanie Prerelease Review: Hellion (415 Ink #3) by Rhys Ford
  • A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review:In Safe Keeping (Heroes and Babies #2) by Victoria Sue

Saturday, September 7:

  • A MelanieM Review:Coach’s Challenge (Scoring Chances #5) by Avon Gale

A MelanieM Review:Empty Net (Scoring Chances #4) by Avon Gale

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

Spartanburg Spitfires’ goalie and captain Isaac Drake ended last season with an unexpected trip to the playoffs. He’s found a home and family with his coach and mentor, Misha Samarin, and he’s looking forward to making a serious run for the Kelly Cup. But things take an interesting turn when Isaac’s archnemesis, Laurent St. Savoy, is traded to the Spitfires. After Laurent’s despicable behavior in the playoffs last year, Isaac wants nothing to do with him – no matter how gorgeous he is. But that changes when Isaac discovers the reason for Laurent’s attitude.

Laurent St. Savoy grew up the only son of a legendary NHL goalie in a household rife with abuse, constantly treated like a disappointment on and off the ice. When a desperate attempt to escape his father’s tyranny sends him to the Spitfires, the last thing Laurent wants is to make friends. But there’s something about Isaac Drake that he can’t resist, and Laurent has an opportunity to explore his sexuality for the first time, but he’s cracking under end-of-the season pressures. When facing the playoffs and a rivalry turned personal vendetta, Isaac’s not sure he’s enough to hold Laurent—or their relationship—together.

Please be advised: This book does contain some non-graphic references to past childhood physical/emotional abuse as well as issues relating to ED (bulimia and restricted eating, disordered thoughts about eating).

Ah, Belsy. The GM of the Spitfires is always looking for a wild way to promote his team.  If its a bit lurid, so much the better.  As fans and readers of this series know, each story builds upon the other. So Empty Net rests firmly on the foundation of the other stories about the Spitfires, their coaches, and their goalie, Isaac Drake.  We were also afforded a small look at the hated Ravens, their despicable Coach, and his son the goalie Laurent St. Savoy.   Enough to get a feeling that perhaps under all those poisonous words and actions of the Ravens goalie, something deeper lay waiting to be revealed.

As is Avon Gale’s way, the author manages to both focus on the individual, the couple, and the team.  All at the same time, knowing that with hockey, you can’t separate the two, or in this case the three.  Somehow, Avon Gale pulls off a Gordie Howe hat trick of a story.  The author manages to take a character so wounded, so in pain and start to bring him a semblance of healing, love, and the ability to move forward.  For another, Isaac Drake?  More character growth and a depth in personality that’s amazing, to be able to rise and be a winner in aspects he might not have conceived of stories ago. And of course, there’s a fight.  Perhaps, not the one you might expect.  But exceedingly satisfying.

Gale’s characterizations are always exceptional, and Scoring Chances really raises the bar.  In Isaac Drake and Laurent St. “Saint” Savoy, you have two young men damaged by their families, each taking a different path under that emotional and physical abuse.  We have learned much about Drake’s in the past stories.  So in this respect, we get a in depth look at what a father’s hatred can do to a son.  I will mention that if you have a trigger for bulimia or eating disorders, that is an element that is part of Saint’s character and is examined closely here as is his past physical abuse.

His treatment of his son, how the self hatred manifests itself…it is all treated realistically as is getting Saint help.  Your heart will ache for this character and all he’s been through.  And the relationship as Saint learns social skills, not only as a boyfriend,but as a teammate and friend to other players?  Golden moments indeed.  I ended up cherishing this couple, the dialogs, all the scenes.  Some tragic, some remarkable, and yes, some very funny.

All the other teammates are well accounted for as are the two coaches (who I loveO Samarin and Ashford.  Gale never forgets the importance of the team, the place of the players within it, and the teams support of them both.  It’s that rock solid foundation that allows them all to soar.  And Gale to deliver this hat trick!

How I adore this story and series.  A comfort read times 5.  Yes I highly recommend them all.  Read them in the order they were written for the best experience you could wish for.  Another story coming up!

Cover art: Aaron Anderson.  I love these covers, brands the series perfectly and works for each story.

Sales Links: Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 200 pages
Published September 2nd 2016 by Dreamspinner Press
Original Title Empty Net
ISBN 1634775856 (ISBN13: 9781634775854)
Edition Language English
Series Scoring Chances #4

Scoring Chances Series

Breakaway

Save of the Game

Power Play

Overtime

Empty Net

Coach’s Challenge

A MelanieM Review :Escape (Rebellion #1) by Annabelle Jacobs

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

This isn’t the life Cole dreamt of, but what choice does he have?

With his twenty-third birthday behind him, Cole Moreton now faces the shifter compatibility test which will decide his future. Testing positive means joining a pack and eventually taking the bite. Unfortunately, with enviable skills in self-defence and hand-to-hand combat, the kind of packs interested in him aren’t any he’d want to join.

Logan has been a member of the McKillen pack for most of his life. Pack is family and loyalty is everything, but when the shifter government turns out to be no better than the oppressive humans before them, he questions everything.

Right from their first meeting, Logan knows that a life with the McKillan pack isn’t right for Cole, but with his alpha taking a keen interest in Cole’s skills, Logan’s hands are tied. Mutual attraction builds between them, but acting on it is futile—helping Cole will put their lives at risk and an end to any future they could’ve had.

What an unexpected turn from Annabelle Jacobs! A grab you by the seat of your  pants, white knuckle, hair raising ride of a shifter story but just not in keeping with the wonderful were universe the author had previously created for her Regents Park Pack series.  That was a much more benign universe, shared with multiple species that had learned to coexist together.

Not here. Not in Escape (Rebellion #1) by Annabelle Jacobs. No, right from the Prologue, we are offered a bleak dystopian picture of species at war. At first we get a glimpse of the human treatment of weres under a human government, the type to trigger a war and rebellion.   Then only to see the wolfshifers replaced it with exactly the same or worse structure,  giving and regarding humans much the same as they themselves had been treated.  Only wolf/were pack structure and culture make their domination all the worse, especially given their power and healing abilities.

The world building is simply superb. From immediately setting the tone and resentment and initially putting the reader on the wolves side, we are then flipped over and see where the results of that scene carried that man into history and the impact its still having on society and both species around him.  It’s an unrelentingly grim atmosphere, the moments of levity (mostly around a pet cat) few in the beginning and gone completely thereafter.

I will tell you now if you are looking for fun and lightheartedness in your story, this novel is not for you.  And while it is a love story, at the moment it’s definitely not  even a romance. It’s a race for survival.

What Jacobs introduces along with her vulnerable, easy to connect to character of Cole Moreton, is a increasing feeling of dread and suspense.  He feels it and  we absorb it.  The  characters around him voice it as the date of the mandatory “testing” arrives.  A Shifter draft as it were that no one escapes from unless you have the wrong stuff.  Which Cole definitely does not.  As the author let us learn Cole, love him and his family, she binds him further with narrative cords of chilling suspense about his future with a pack that the more we learn about the more it scares us…and him.

The one caught between?  Logan, a shifter from the McKillen Pack that seems to rule London, wants Cole badly for themselves and has set Logan up at his recruiter, the one to tell Cole he can’t say no to the Pack.

And Logan has just as many facets to him as you could hope for and is almost in as ugly a position as Cole.  Or maybe a worse one.  Because the attraction  sparks between them, one that either way can never happen.  Especially as Logan knows what will happen to Cole once he is inside his pack.

And our own insides clench tighter.  The suspense and tension ratchets higher, and oh, is the writing incredible.

There is no resolution here in this story.  When it ends, if anything, the future for them all looks to be bleeker, grittier and uncertain.  Their goals set higher. Cole and Logan know how they feel about each other but will they be together?

It’s hard to tell how the author will frame out this series.  Will this couple be the main couple in each story?  It’s looking like that has to be the path forward because the stakes are so high, but there are others here so deserving of their stories too. And mates.

And the journey to a new rebellion.  Will it be long or short?  Can I take the suspense which is already killing me now? lol

Did I have fun reading this novel? No.  Did I love reading this story?  Absolutely.  I was caught up in the world, the characters, their flight for survival , and their cause immediately.  The writing is spectacular, the characters layers, and I honestly don’t have a clue where Jacobs is going with this but I am going to follow each step of the way.

If you love shifters, suspense, and what will be an incredible love story, this is the book and I suspect the series for you.

Cover art: Natasha Snow. What a powerful cover.  That is Logan in every way.

Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK | Universal Link – Exclusive to Amazon and Available to Borrow with Kindle Unlimited

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 319 pages
Published August 20th 2019
ASINB07WGYRNDH
Edition LanguageEnglish
SeriesRebellion #1